Can opener



Dec, 2, 1924.l

R. CLARKSON GAN OPENER Filed MarchV 12 1924 Rob eri darli-502W Patented Dec. 2, 1924.

ROBERT OLARKSON, OF EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS.

CAN OPENER.

Application filed March 12, 1924. Serial No. 698,690.

To all who/m. it may con-cern Be it known that I, ROBERT CLARnsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at East St. Ilouis, in the county of St. Clair and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can Openers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to can openers and has for its object the provision of a simple and inexpensive device especially adapted for household use whereby metal cans or containers may be easily and quickly opened -without exposing the user of the device to the risk of injury through Contact by the lingers with the jagged edges of the opening in the container. The invention seeks to provide a device which may be readily secured in working position upon a kitchen table or other fixed support and manipulated to first partly sever the top of the'can from the body thereof and then lift the partly severed portion to permit the contents of the can to be discharged. Another object of the invention is t-o provide a can opener of such form that, when in use, it

ywill tend to hold the can in position upon t-he table so that slipping or undue rotation of the can will be prevented. Other objects will appear incidentally in the course of the following description.

One embodiment of my invention is illustrated inY the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved can opener, showing` the manner in which it is brought to bear upon a can when in use, and

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, with a can indicated in dotted lines.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a platform consisting of a base or lower jaw 1 which is adapted to engage against the under side of a table top, indicated at 2, and a post or standard 3 rising from the outer edge of said jaw and equipped at its upper end with an oset 4 having an internally threaded bore to receive a clamping screw 5 which is engaged therethrough to bear upon the upper side of the table top or other support, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. It will be readily understood that, by turning the screw home against the table top, the device will be firmly clamped in place.

v'Ihrough the jaw l adjacent one end thereof is formed an opening to receive a pin or stud 6 formed at the lower end of a rocking standard 'l' and around this pin or stud is fitted a coiled spring 8 bearing at one end against the side of the jaw 1 and at its opposite end against a cotter pin or similarl retainer 9 carried by the pin or stud. The said spring serves to hold the rocking standard 'r' against the side of the jaw and the edge of the fixed support with sufficient friction to maintain the standard in any position in which it may be set while at the same time permitting it to rock to the extent necessary for a successful operation of the device. At the upper end of the standard 7 is an eye 10 adapted to receive a pin or stud 11 formed on the side of an offset longitudinal extension 12 of the lever or handle 13. rIhe4 extension 12 is connected with the end of the main body of the handle or lever 13 by a cross bar or bridging `portion 14 which is formed integral with the handle and the extension, and to the side of the handle immediately at the said cross bar is secured a blade 15 which has its upper end bearing against the under side of a reinforcing rib 16 formed on the side of thehandle. The lower end of the blade is tapered downwardly to an approximately central point 17 and the tapered or converging edges are beveled so as to serve as cutters. The extension 12 is reduced beyond the pivot pin or stud 11 to terminate in a flat blade-like member 18, the purpose of which will p-resently appear.

In using' the device, the anchoring clamp is secured upon the fixed support, as shown and described, and the rocking standard 7 is swung upwardly so as to project above the table top. rI`he pin or stud 11 carried by the handle is engaged laterally through the eye 10 so that the handle may be oscillated or rocked pivotally about the said eye as a center. The can to be opened, indicated at 19, is placed upon the table top so that it will project under the blade 15 with the side of the can clearing the standard 7` as shown clearly in Fig. 1. A downward pressure is then exerted upon the lever or handle 13 so that the point of the blade 15 will be caused to pierce and pass through the top of the can, making a cut such as is shown at 20. The blade is then lifted, the can partially rotated and a second cut, indicated at 21, is formed in the same manner, the second cut overlapping the end of the first cut, as indicated at 22, This process is repeated until the overlapped cuts or incisions extend almost around the entire top of the can. The handle member is then c isengaged from the standard and the tlat blade or tooth i8 is engaged under the severed edge of the top so that the said top may he pried upward Without any necessity of vthe operator graspingthe same, and injury to the fingers is thereby avoided. By properly tnfisting` or rocking` the pry 1S 'beneath the ec ge of the partly severed top, the top may be raised sutciently to permit the entire contents of the can to he Withdrawn. `When the blade carrying` handle is disengaged from the standarrh the standard may be lowered to a substantially horizontal position extending` along side the edge of the table or other fixed support so that it. will be ont of the way during` subsequent handling' of the can and may be easily brought into operative position if a second can is to be opened iinmediately or Within a short time. if the can opener will probably not be needed for some appreciable period of time, the clamping' screnY may be released se that the entire device may be set aside. i

lt will he readily noted from the foregoing description, tal-:en in connection with the accompanying drawing', that l have provided an exceedingly simple and inexpensive device which will he found highly e"- ficient in operation. When pressure is applied throngh the handle to force the blade into and through the top of the can, the pressure is exerted in both directions from the central line of the blade so thati While the top of the can is cut through, the exerted pressure serves to hold the can against movement. instead of tending` to push it out of the path of the knife. The offset construction of the Working end of the handle permits it to readily clear the side of the can7 and the flat tapered pry 18 is an advantageous adjunct to the opener inasmuch it permits the partly severed can top to be raised without any necessity for the fingers ot' the operator to grasp the samev` and injury to the lingers which are non' frequently caused by contact With the rough jagged edges of the cut portions is avoided. rlhe reciting standard permits the device to be adjusted back and forth relative to the table so that it may be quickly brought into proper operative relation to cans ot various heights or diameters and the connection or mounting of the handle upon 'the standard is such that the handle or lever will be tiri'nly supported but may be easily disengaged therefrom when the device is not to be immediately used. Moreover, the offset construction of the handle member, While providing clearance for the can, also brings the greater portion of the handle into the same plane as the standard so that.l if the handle should be thrown quickly or carelessly rearward with respect to the can. it will be caused to inipinge against the far or rear side of the standard and will be thereby supported in such a position that it may he easily grasped when its use is again desired or necessary.

.Having thus described the invention. l claim:

A can opener comprisingw a standard, a handle member having a. laterally offset end portion extending parallel with its greater length, a pin projecting from the side of the otfset portion of the handle member adjacent the free end thereof to pirotally engage the standard, a blade secured rigidly to the. side of the handle member at the base of the offset portion thereof,y and a reduced flat-sided pry extending` from the extremity of the olfset portion.

ln testimony whereof I aihx my ture.

RBERT CLARlSSUN. [n s] 

